


One of Three

by FukaiFox



Series: Not Just Tools - Detroit: Become Human Pokémon AU [3]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:00:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21771850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FukaiFox/pseuds/FukaiFox
Summary: Reassurance of one's choices can come in all shapes and forms - Markus isn't expecting this to be his
Relationships: Carl Manfred & Markus
Series: Not Just Tools - Detroit: Become Human Pokémon AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1474826
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	One of Three

**Author's Note:**

> Markus meets Azelf

“I have something for you, Markus.”

Markus turns around from where he’s kneeling on the floor while tidying the studio and stands, placing the paint-water jars back on the table near the sink so he can wash them. Carl is wheeling himself into the studio with a smile on his face and a small gift box in his lap. A Smeargle with a green-tipped tail stands at his side with a wide smile.  
“For me?” He asks, dusting off his hands on a nearby towel.  
“Yes, all yours. My gift to you. Long overdue, if you ask me.” Carl says, picking up the box and holding it out. Markus takes it and looks it over, then back to Carl who just smiles eagerly, waiting for the android to open his present. The box is simple looking, no hint at all to what could be inside of it, only a small tag tied around the bow.

  
**_‘Happy birthday, Markus. - Carl’_ **

  
“Birthday?” He asks. 

“I must admit I don’t know the exact date Elijah finished you, but I do know the day you came to me, and that’s good enough for me. So yes, happy birthday.”  
Markus wants to remind Carl that androids aren’t living beings and therefore are not born, so a birthday is an impossible thing, but he just finds himself smiling instead. Carl is a very kind man. In the early years of their relationship, Carl treated him how Markus assumes any human would treat their android, like just another household appliance. But something changed eventually and Carl warmed up to him, started to encourage things that maybe an android shouldn’t do or think. He had philosophical conversations with Markus, taught him to question things he sees if they don’t make sense and not be afraid to voice these concerns. He encouraged Markus to pick out his own clothes when they went out shopping together and wear whatever he likes around the house as well, so a sudden “birthday” gift is not at all surprising, though it is the first time it’s ever happened. Markus gently lifts the lid and blinks as he sees what’s inside. A Pokéball, new and shiny, sits in a nest of white tissue paper. Gently lifting it from the box, he runs his fingers over the button, watching it light up green. It’s an odd color for a ball, this one green with red petals evenly spaced in a half circle, tips pointed at the button, a yellow dot in the center. At Carl’s eager insistence, he tosses it, and the ball clicks open with a bright flash of white light, the Pokémon inside forming on the floor between them.  
A tiny Rockruff blinks up at Markus before excitedly jumping around and barking, wagging its tail and rubbing its rocky collar around his legs. Were he human, it would undoubtedly be very uncomfortable.

“A Rockruff?”  
Carl smiles. “Everyone should have a Pokémon of their own, Markus. Rockruff can be temperamental at times, but I think it’s perfect for you. You’ll be the perfect trainer for it and I can’t wait to see what it becomes with your care and guidance.”  
“Carl… Domestic androids aren’t supposed to own Pokémon.” He says. Androids aren’t technically supposed to own anything, and even the Pokémon belonging to android law enforcement are standard. But Carl just smirks, leaning back in his chair.  
“Guess it’ll just have to be our little secret then.” He says, sharing a sly side-eye with Smeargle, who giggles. “Why don’t you start by giving her a name?” Carl suggests.  
Markus hums and looks down at the little brown puppy with its shining blue eyes, and he kneels down to pick it up. He thinks of his life, of all the blessings he has. Carl is a kind man, the home he lives in is safe and inviting, full of beautiful artwork. Carl believes him enough of a person that he’s gifting him a Pokémon, as if he were his own child finally ready for the responsibility.  
“…Amren.” Markus says. “For harmony, balance, and appreciation of beautiful things.”  
Carl smiles as Rockruff barks and gives Markus’s face affectionate licks.  
“I think she likes it.”

  
A week later, Markus’s life is turned upside down, and at 3:46AM on November 6th, he wakes up in Hell.

  
-

  
Markus misses Carl, misses Smeargle, misses Amren, even thinks he misses the stuffy parties he and Carl frequented for public image. Anything would be better than what he’s doing now, no matter how good it may be for his people. Hunched over a table in the captain’s quarters of Jericho, the layout of the CyberLife warehouse docks spread out in front of him, his head is filled with nothing but doubts. He’s an outsider in this haven, and he has the audacity to suddenly take charge and lead them? Who does he think he is? Compared to the rest of these androids, Markus has no right to try and sympathize with them. His life up until now was something these androids could only dream of. An owner who treated him like family, called him his son, loved him like one, encouraged him to be his own person. It feels wrong trying to lead them, but if he doesn’t do something then these androids will die, nothing will ever change for those less fortunate than he had been.

 _“You’ll make the right choice, Markus.”_ A voice says, echoing in his head like an android’s might, though he feels no additional electromagnetic fields around him another android would give off. The voice is androgynous, has a strange reverb to it that sounds like two voices speaking at once, slightly different in pitch. He turns around to see who has come to see him, only for there to be a strange Pokémon floating in the center of the room. Its body is white and blue, a red gemstone in the center of its forehead between two piercing golden eyes. Its two tails twist in the air behind it, long as its own body and flowering into three tapered points at the ends, a red stone in their centers as well.  
“ _Jericho will follow you._ ”

“…are you…talking to me?” Markus asks hesitantly. Last thing he needs is someone seeing him talking to a Pokémon as if it can actually talk back. But he’s surprised when that’s exactly what happens.  
 _“Yes. My name is Azelf.”_

A quick search in his internal dex tells him everything he needs to know about this Pokémon. One of three guardians, a mythical trio. It’s said that this one in particular “endowed humans with the determination needed to face any of life’s difficulties.”  
He looks around.  
“…aren’t there three of you?” He asks.  
 _“Yes. Mesprit has chosen and revealed themselves already, and Uxie continues to stalk and observe, waiting for the right time. Their chosen will play a pivotal role in the days to come. We can not know for certain the choices he will make, there are too many variables in his story.”_  
“Chosen? Am… Am I yours?”  
Azelf nods.  
“Why me?”  
 _“You’re the leader of Jericho, Markus. You’re the one that will lead this revolution. Your choices will shape the future for your people. Either you will succeed or you will fail, I am only here to guide and protect you.”_  
“…guide me?”

Azelf floats nearer and places a paw on Markus’s head, it’s eyes slowly beginning to glow as they project many visions of possible futures. In them, Markus sees so many outcomes. The revolution succeeds and they rejoice, he’s holding hands with someone, multiple someones, nobody at all. They hug and kiss or smile and everyone is so happy. There’s a fifth member too, sometimes part of their little cluster, sometimes not. He doesn’t see anyone’s face, but he knows who they all are, he can feel it, except for this mysterious fifth figure. He only sees their back, but doesn’t know how to feel about the uniform they wear.  
And then the scene changes. There’s gunfire, explosions, not all of it directed towards them. All around him androids hold guns, firing at humans. There’s pain and suddenly he’s being pulled to the side. The vision is blurry, but he knows Simon anywhere, knows his voice. His voice that says their hearts are compatible, and Markus can only watch as Simon removes his own Thirium pump regulator and pushes it into his chest, then dies in front of his eyes. He watches as the revolution falls apart, androids are slaughtered en-masse. The fifth android from before that wears its identifiers does so now with a sense of pride, where before it had looked wrong, like a costume.

Azelf pulls their paw away and ends the shared Future Sight, leaving Markus stumbling back against the table.  
 _“The best and worse case scenarios.”_ Azelf explains. “ _I know how you want this to end, but I cannot tell you how to achieve it. Those choices are for you to make on your own. However, I can tell you this: Follow your heart, Markus, what you believe is the right thing, and you will succeed. Let go of your anger and all you see and feel now, and think instead of your future. Think of how you **will** feel and what you **want** to see.”_

Think of the future. 

The choices are his and his alone to make.

He thinks back on hearing Josh and North’s screaming match earlier about how best to deal with their situation. Markus inspired them, but where North wanted a revolution, for them to be as violent to the humans as they were to each other, Josh wanted a demonstration. If they killed and mistreated the humans, then how were they any better? Markus found himself torn between their perspectives. They needed to be peaceful, otherwise the humans would never give them what they deserved, but they couldn’t be doormats either. If they weren’t forceful, then they would be dismissed as simply malfunctioning machines with no actual will or passion behind their movement. Markus had to find the middle ground here, otherwise he was sure they would fail. He needed this to work, they all needed this to work, or they would be slaughtered. He couldn’t let that happen to them. He couldn’t let Simon commit suicide to save him, couldn’t let North’s anger get the better of her to the point she seceded from the rest of them and create her own faction of renegade androids with those who agreed with a more violent approach.

He thinks about the visions Azelf had shared with him of the future after a successful, peaceful revolution. Hand in hand with North, or Simon, or Josh, or all three of them together, of a potential fifth hand joining them. He thinks about the unity he felt between them all and knows that the future he wants. He doesn’t want anyone to die for him.

“I… Please, tell me this much at least. What are the chances of us succeeding tonight? If there's even the slightest possibility of anyone other than myself being killed or left behind, it’s a chance I can’t take.”

Azelf considers this request with a slight dip in their hover.  
 _“If I do this for you, you must never ask me again. Knowing the future is a dangerous thing, Markus, and too much foresight will only stall the inevitable. If someone must die, then they will, and it might not be you. If you’re going to lead a revolution, that is something you’re going to have to accept.”_ They say to him. Markus hangs his head.  
“I understand. Please, I need to make sure my first move doesn’t end in checkmate before we even start.”

Azelf closes their eyes, a yellow glow shining through their lids as both tails straight up behind their body, the gems in the center of the flowers glowing with the one between their eyes. Markus feels like he’s witnessing something shouldn’t, honestly. It’s a feeling that few who come into contact with legendary, mythical, or God-like Pokemon seem to report; a feeling of general unease. But if he is Azelf’s chosen bond, then he supposes he better get used to it. The Pokémon opens its eyes after a few moments and locks eyes with Markus.  
 _“Should you make the right decisions and remain undetected, you will succeed, and may even return with more than what you expected.”_ They say, and Markus bows his head.  
“Thank you.”  
 _“Remember, you will never ask again. If you do, I will not tell you. You must make your decisions based on what you feel is right - as long as you do that, you will always succeed where it matters most.”_

“Markus?” A voice calls from outside the door. It’s Simon. Azelf looks to Markus and nods their head.  
 _“Not yet. When you need me most, I will reveal myself again. They’re not ready for me.”_ They say before turning and soaring out of the broken-in window with a high-pitched chime like a metal bar hitting concrete, and they’re out of sight before Markus can even wonder if what just happened was real or not.  
“Markus?” Simon calls again. “Are you alright?”  
Markus clears his throat.  
“Yes- Yes, I’m fine. You can come in.”  
Simon walks in, his stance timid as his Eevee trails in behind him. He’s wringing his fingers together and looking mostly at the ground.  
“The others are almost ready to leave.” He says, then finally lifts his eyes. “Are you sure about this? We don’t have to go, we’ll figure out something else if you think it’s too risky.”  
But the RK200 just shakes his head.  
“No, we have to do this. Half of those androids won’t make it the rest of the week if we don’t, we don’t have the time to think of something else. I… We’ll be fine. It’s gonna work, Simon.”

Simon just nods.  
“I know we will. I’m just…a little worried about North, that’s all. She’s a bit aggressive, if you haven’t noticed. I don’t want her getting carried away or too impulsive. I don’t fully agree with either her or Josh, but Josh is definitely thinking more for the future and in the sense of reality. North is certainly justified in her hatred, but… It isn’t an excuse for her to treat others the way she does. I’m sorry if she’s made you feel unwelcome here, and in advance if she does anything tonight to…” the PL600 takes a breath. “Well. Let’s not think about that, it’ll give me anxiety.” He tries to joke, but Markus knows the truth in what he says. While Markus knows Simon isn’t very confrontational, he also knows that just means Simon won’t start a fight, but he _will_ finish them. He’s a good mediator for Josh and North when they start going at it. Simon told him once that it was just like the kids he used to care for all over again, a brother and a sister who were always bickering. If you send them to their own separate corners for a little bit, everything will be just fine in about fifteen minutes. Pro to being one of the oldest members of Jericho is that pretty much everyone listens to what he has to say.

Simon’s Eevee, Fovann, barks up at Markus and wags his short stubby tail, his oversized lop ears nearly dragging the ground, and Markus smiles.  
“You’ll be leaving him here, I assume?”  
Simon shakes his head.  
“No, he’s coming with. In his Pokéball like the others, but I want him there just in case. Better to be prepared than caught off guard. What about-” He starts to ask, then quickly backtracks. “Sorry. I forgot you don’t..” But Markus shakes his head.  
“It’s alright.” He assures. Thinking about Amren is a bit of a sore spot for him still. He knows she’s safe with Carl, but he misses her anyway. He wishes he had gotten to spend more time with her before he- Markus stops his thoughts right there and just takes a deep breath.  
“Tell the others I’ll be ready in a few minutes, I’m just…finalizing some details, making alternate plans if we need to.” 

Simon is obviously skeptical, but respects Markus’s privacy enough that he doesn’t ask why he seemed to have been talking to himself earlier. Simon knows that if Markus wanted to talk about something, he would. The RK200 turns back to the blueprints, hands on the edge of the table, head hanging between his shoulders. He carries so much stress there. He’s terrified of this, knows what’s at stake if they fail, and yet is doing it anyway because it’s the right thing to do. Markus is in fine shape, fairing better than most, and yet he’s risking his life for those less fortunate.

“…Markus?”

Markus lifts his head from where it hangs and hums, turning to look over his shoulder at Simon. He’d thought the PL600 had left.  
“Yes?”

Simon stands tall and confident, making eye contact with Markus to make sure the other android knows how much he means his next words. Markus needs to know.  
“I trust you.” Simon says. “I just thought you should know that.”  
The PL600 finally turns to take his leave, shoes clicking quietly against the metal floors of JERICHO as he leaves the room and back down into the hull to join the others. Markus smiles to himself. Simon is one of the oldest members of Jericho and his word and leadership are highly respected among the others, so if he believed in him, if he trusted him to make the right choices, then Markus was a little more sure of himself.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry its been so long since an update YIKES ive been busy at work bc of holidays but I promise the AU and fic is still alive and well!
> 
> keep up on Twitter! @fukaifox  
> playlist on spotify - Not Just Tools - DBH Pokémon Fic by FukaiFox


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